Madidi National Park

La Paz

Sights

Sights of the surroundings

The Madidi National Park and Integrated Management Area are incomparably beautiful natural expanses that provide habitat to some 3,235 documented species of flora and fauna that live in harmony with indigenous tribes that maintain their ancient Amazonian traditions. Madidi´s magnificent landscapes are bordered on one side by the soaring Andes Mountains, cloud forest and trackless lowland jungle.

The Madidi National Park and Integrated Management Area has the greatest biodiversity of any protected area on the planet. El Parque Madidi is located in the northeast of the country in the La Paz department (state) at the feet of the Andes. The park´s altitude varies between 5,600 meters and 180 meters. The park covers an area of 18.900 km2 and beckons to nature and outdoor adventure lovers. The park´s ecoregions include high Andes, humid cloud forest, Amazonian jungle, sweltering tropical swamps, and grasslands.

Madidi hosts an astonishing 867 species of birds, 156 mammals, 84 amphibians, 71 reptiles, 192 species of fish and hides dozens more that are unknown to science. This amazing diversity represents 50% of the vertebrates found in Bolivia.
In Madidi has the most plant species of any park in the world, at current count there are some 1,865 plant species and scientists estimate that around 2,870 exist in the park, representing 27% of the total species found in Bolivia! Scientists have found in Madidi 31 plants that are endemic to the park and 92 that are found only in Bolivia. Scientists have encountered three endemic amphibian species, one reptile, four bird species, one rodent, and two primate species formerly unknown to science. Less than half of the protected area has been explored by scientists and biologists estimate that an additional 700 vertebrate species remain undiscovered inside the park.

Madidi Park begins 105 Km. north of Rurrenabaque. The entrance to the park is through the town of Santa Ana and then transport is only via river. The park is also home to invading Quechua and Aymara groups from the highlands who are competing with the native lowlands tribes such as the Chamas, Maropas, Chimanes and Tacanas who live in this sector and in the Abel Iturralde province of the La Paz department. These indigenous communities (except the Quechua and Aymara who have come in the last 50 years) have lived in the south and southeast regions of the park for at least 300 years.

For information about tours to the Madidi National Park, please visit our tours section.